Business

2013 Rising Stars of KC Business: Erik Wullschleger

As general manager of the Sprint Accelerator, 31-year-old Erik Wullschleger is poised to make his mark on the tech world.

Working his way up from a retail position, Sprint quickly identified Wullschleger as a Rising Star who continued to demonstrate his talents through product development roles. As smartphones and other mobile devices moved past their infancy stage, Wullschleger’s focus shifted to applying new technologies to benefit the healthcare realm. The Sprint Accelerator—a tech startup incubator—is central to this effort.

The accelerator offers startups seed money, mentorship and access to vast Sprint resources. While the telecom giant is looking to foster startups with corporate resources, company execs also appear keenly aware of inadvertent corporate straightjacketing. To avoid this, Sprint has developed 20,000 square feet of space in Kansas City’s Crossroads District. The facility, which still maintains its warehouse feel, is slated to house 10 tech startups.

One of Wullschleger’s first tasks is to identify entrepreneurs with the skillset and vision to develop mobile health products and services. Meeting with entrepreneurs from around the country is a process he clearly enjoys as he espouses the innovative nature of the tech startups. “I think we learn a lot more from them than they learn from us,” Wullschleger says.

Recently Jason appeared on KMBZ radio 98.1 FM to speak about his Rising Stars nomination – hear it now!